The team on Thursday, capped out to a hilarious degree, confirmed the obvious and announced that they'd amnesty Briere, 36, as a means of saving on his $6.5 million cap hit, which now comes off the books.

“(Briere) has been a tremendous player, person and role model in all aspects and for that we thank him. We wish him continued success and best wishes in any future endeavors," GM Paul Holmgren said in a released statement.

Briere was a top playoff performer who had 283 points (124G, 159A) in 364 games with the Flyers after signing as a free agent in 2007. He also had 16 points in 34 games in 2013, so the decline is on, but he could still provide something positive at a reduced price. The New York Islanders, Ottawa Senators and Washington Capitals are all superficially good fits, particularly because they're Eastern Conference teams and Briere's family is staying in South Jersey.

Briere, unofficially, is the third player to take the compliance buyout, which pays a player two thirds of his remaining salary over double the remaining years. Scott Gomez (Canadiens) and Wade Redden (Rangers) were the first, and both went on to contribute to their new teams at significantly reduced rates.

Briere says there's no hard feelings.

“They’ve been a completely first class organization with the way they’ve handling everything,” Briere told the Philadelphia Daily News. “I don’t think it was easy for them, but at the same time, I understand the business. I have total respect and admiration for the Flyers.”

The media loves Briere because he's honest and accessible, and he certainly has a reputation for being a nice guy, as well. Hence the outpouring of "classy" on Twitter after the decision.